Finishing Strong in the Face of Adversity

“Victory in the Face of Adversity – How to Finish Strong without Being Pulled Off Purpose”

By Tracy DeJarnett

Each of us has our strengths and our values. Living with authentic purpose gives light to those truths so that the world can see them. In spite of what you know to be true, there may be times when you face opposition or even more, you may face adversity that threatens to pull you off your path or try to define you in a way that is not a true reflection of who you are. Were you passed up for a promotion? Were you bullied? Were your opinions mocked or belittled? Did someone start a rumor designed to hurt you? Was your heart broken? Did you find out you made less than your counterparts in the same job? Did you lose an important prospect for your business? Did you lose someone you loved? Did someone you trust disappoint you? Are things being said about you that are an untrue reflection of who you are?

Do not fall victim to these distractions, attempts to hurt or defeat you. If you did not have a big purpose and a big reason for being, there would be no obstacles; the enemy would not try to stop you. Consider that the greater and bigger your life, the greater and bigger the challenges that will try to distract, persuade, seed doubt, threaten and otherwise try to stop you. Do not let them.

In martial arts there are many disciplines that are based on unique principals of approach. Aikido is a martial art designed to disarm an attack without harm. Essentially it is based on the principal of using the energy of the attack against the attacker. If you watch any Aikido match you will probably notice how moves are fluid and seemingly with great ease. The “receiver” essentially waits until attacked and then takes the forward momentum or energy of the attack and turns it back against the attacker. And so it is true too in life that in order to stay on path we disarm our enemies and our challenges by using their energy against them not by attacking them, but by living our lives and simply shifting the energy of the attack to stop and disarm them.

Live your life true to your own values and truth and stand strong against distractions or attacks. I believe that the very things that come against us are the very things that will bring us success and ultimately victory. What are the things in your life that seemed impossible to overcome and yet you did and you thrived?

In 2007 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I walked out of the hospital unwilling to utter the word, and decidedly healthy and unharmed. I spent the next several weeks and months praying, visualizing health, repeating an affirmative mantra, surrounding myself with only positive imagery, supporting myself with healthy foods and people. I did not accept the doctor’s words, “it is not a matter of whether you have cancer, but now it is simply how we will manage it.” No, I did not believe or accept those words. In fact I was irritated as he paraded multiple students through the room to put me on display because of the rareness of this particular kind of cancer. I simply said “no.” My next appointment after the biopsy never came. I waited for a month and no return phone call from my doctor. Finally, a call came from my original doctor’s office that had referred me to the cancer specialist. Something had happened. There was nothing there. I know that what we believe and what we see is what will materialize in our lives and I am continually thankful.

Fast forward to 2015 and in February I was diagnosed with Grave’s disease that is an autoimmune disease typically triggered by a stress event. I was devastated. I suffered from high heart rate at rest, anxiety from the sense of shortness of breath and the persistent sound of the pounding of my heart in my chest. I would go on to lose 2 – 3 pounds per night and fought to try to maintain my weight. I realized I was in a fast decline with multiple other symptoms and I had to make a strong stand and use this to my advantage somehow. I sought council outside of the doctors that told me I had three choices: 1) Take a radioactive iodine pill to kill my thyroid (what they don’t tell you is that you yourself become radioactive for 24 hours), 2) Surgically remove the thyroid (and again they don’t tell you that the first and this second option will require you be on medication for the rest of your life, and 3) take medication for the rest of your life (and the medication is in fact toxic, particularly to your liver). I said, I would take none of that thank you. I compromised and said I will take the minimum medication I need to take while I give my body a chance to heal. Clearly a stress event had caused this, and I can use this energy against me to heal me.

I did many things not the least of which was 1) remove all processed foods which are destructive for my body, 2) minimize the triggers in my life that aggravated the disease including stress and iodine (all processed foods, iodized salt, bread etc.), 3) hired a nutritionist to help and 4) I started to go to the gym religiously to ensure I didn’t lose important muscle in the process. Remember that it is what you decide that will materialize.

Nine months later to the surprise and joy of my physician and family, it appears based on my last test that I may be in remission. The doctor pulled me off all of the medications and in a month we will test again. I am hopeful. The best possible outcome I was given was to be in remission after one year on medication, and that was a long shot. And now, after nine months it appears I am on a good path perhaps even earlier. I am blessed and ecstatic to see these results and share this with you because I want you to know that you can achieve and overcome in the face of adversity. It takes a decision, action and the mindset to do it. I know that this will forever be a journey for me, and that I am not completely “out of the woods” and I must continue to live the life that seems to be healing me, and again I am forever thankful for this knowledge. And so it goes with life, career and relationships – we must always stay diligent and true to our path and purpose. Do not be dissuaded.

Take an obstacle and use that energy currently against you to succeed and ultimately defeat it as does with Aikido. Pour yourself into the things that nourish you and support you. Do not feed the opposition, feed your success. Here are a few steps to take to overcome your next challenge and finish strong in 2015 and beyond:

  1. Remember who you are, a beautiful light filled being with a real purpose.
  2. Rehearse your victories – remember the successes that you have had in life. Remember the job you got against all odds, the sickness you overcame, the first car you bought with your own money, your first job that no one believed you could get, whatever it is remember and rehearse the victory and what it took to win. Your life is full of large and small miracles of success enjoy and rehearse them.
  3. Give more energy to your success and less to the challenge. Focus on what you want, not what you do not want as so eloquently stated in “The Secret.”
  4. Remember that only you define you, no one and nothing else.
  5. You can accomplish anything with focus, intent and the right energy or mindset. Remember to use what was meant for your harm for your ultimate victory.
  6. Define your victory. What do you want and what will it mean for you to finish strong?
  7. Profess it and declare it. “I am already achieving and succeeding.”
  8. Visualize it. Experience the joy, the dimensional exaltation of the finish line. Feel it.
  9. Take action. Seek council to help you on your path. Know that you will be ok and that you can remain steadfast in your purpose, your beliefs and your values and you will accomplish your goals and your life will forever shine.

We are not guaranteed that life will be without challenge. In fact our challenges become our testimony as to the steadfastness of our purpose. What we are guaranteed is that we are remembered not only by the challenges we face, but also by our responses to those challenges, which lead to our ultimate victories.

About Tracy DeJarnett

Tracy is on the editorial board for the National Women’s Council that produces this newsletter. She is dedicated to helping her clients through her marketing craft with Signet Interactive and to lifting others with encouragement, inspiration and education.

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